Leonid Savin
Oriental Review

The collective West stands on the side of Israel and does not worry at all about gross violations of international law.

It is obvious to everyone that the Zionist regime violates numerous conventions and treaties of international law.

If the International Criminal Court has already ruled on the ethnic cleansing that Israel carried out in the Gaza Strip, then the aggression in Lebanon has become another dimension that increases the list of war crimes of the Benjamin Netanyahu regime. The most obvious cases are the use of technical means of communication as a weapon, targeted killings, as well as the disproportionate use of military force.

Quite indicatively, the same cases apply to the United States, since it had previously applied similar actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani with a drone strike on January 3, 2020. For Israel, these cases are a kind of argument to justify their own crimes, since they can be interpreted as case-law.

However, from the standpoint of internationally recognized laws, they have committed and are committing crimes that have yet to be not only condemned, but also to push developing a reliable mechanism for the execution of decisions of international agencies, since Israel has not fulfilled the earlier decision of the International Criminal Court and is unlikely to comply.

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Imran Salim
Oriental Review

The results of the jubilee summit of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance, which ended in Washington on July 11, 2024 and the adoption of political decisions and the final declaration, predictably demonstrated that NATO wants only victory for Ukraine and defeat for Russia. An unbiased analysis of the situation around the Russian–Ukrainian armed conflict over the past two and a half years of confrontation shows that this is an unattainable result neither now nor in the foreseeable future. If the collective West does not come to terms with this reality, then the most likely outcome for Kiev will be an imminent military defeat, which will entail the loss of territories of the entire left-bank Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipro and Chernihiv, as well as the loss of access to the Black Sea with the loss of Odessa and Nikolaev, rather than it was set in the mandatory conditions put forward by the Russian President in June this year, regarding possible negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis, including on the neutral, non-aligned and nuclear-free status of Ukraine.

Then Zelensky regarded these conditions as an ultimatum of capitulation. According to Western experts, without serious changes in the military objectives of the West and Ukraine, Putin‘s ultimatum has a high degree of implementation. Kiev‘s most realistic hope is to try to hold on to all the territories it currently has and try not to surrender any more land and negotiate a cessation of hostilities. But experts have to admit that it may be too late to achieve even such a limited result.

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Eric Zuesse
Oriental Review

■ I opposed the invasion of Iraq by Bush in 2003 — which destroyed that country — even before it was perpetrated. George Clooney, Peter Welch, the New York Times, and other liars or fools of liars, did not.

■ I opposed the bombing of Libya by Obama in 2011 — which destroyed that country — even before it was perpetrated. George Clooney, Peter Welch, the New York Times, annals of liars, did not.

■ I opposed the U.S. arming of Al Qaeda in Syria to overthrow Assad in 2012 by Obama — which destroyed that country — even before it was perpetrated. George Clooney, Peter Welch, the New York Times, and other liars or fools of liars, did not.

■ I opposed the U.S. coup that was perpetrated in 2014 by Obama, Clinton, and Biden, against Ukraine in order to place U.S. missiles there to blitz-nuke The Kremlin — which destroyed Ukraine — even before it was perpetrated. George Clooney, Peter Welch, the New York Times, and other liars or fools of liars, did not.

The Democratic Party is as flamingly neoconservative, pro-MIC, hawkish, and pro-U.S.-imperialism, as is the Republican Party; and, so, only a Second American Revolution that recognizes all Americans’ enemy as being right here at home — the super-rich who control all of the major ‘news’-media and the Government (both of its Parties) — and which Revolution removes them from the power they have to deceive the majority of the public and destroy nation after nation while the MIC-owners grow ever fatter feasting upon the blood and misery of others in other lands and upon the despair of the poor in our own, can be constructive in the present era when the U.S. behemoth is craving feverishly to control the entire world and to increase the annual aggression (‘defense’)-budget so high it will leave nothing left to spend for the public.

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Leonid Savin
Oriental Review

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting
Moscow on July 8-9 to co-chair the 22nd Russia-
India Annual Summit with President Vladimir Putin.

The 22nd annual Russia–India Summit took place in Moscow.

Arriving in Moscow on July 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Russia India‘s “all-weather friend” and praised President Vladimir Putin‘s leading role in strengthening bilateral relations over the past two decades. The Prime minister also said that for a long time, the world had witnessed an “influence-oriented global order” “But, what the world needs right now is confluence not influence and no one can deliver this message better than India which has a strong tradition of worshipping confluences,” Modi said.

How can these words be interpreted? At first glance, the Indian Prime Minister calls for a kind of convergence. However, the East is a delicate matter, and this phrase can be interpreted both as a fusion of several streams and as a mutual influence.

At a meeting with the Indian diaspora in Moscow on July 9, Modi stressed that “Indians in Russia are strengthening bilateral ties by contributing to the development of Russian society... As soon as they hear the word ‘Russia’, every Indian thinks that it is a trustable friend; a friend in joy and sorrow…“

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Vivek Grover
Oriental Review

A profound rift has been opened between the dominating EU establishment consisting of centrist political groupings and the proponents of peace talks in Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Moscow and his negotiations with President Putin have sent shockwaves around Europe. This is the first time that a Western leader has visited Russia since April 2022, and his visit comes just three days after he visited Ukraine and held talks with President Zelensky.

This is a surprise visit, as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that it was arranged on Tuesday right after the Hungarian Prime Minister concluded his visit to Kyiv.

There has been speculation that Orban has a special message to President Putin from President Zelensky, as both parties to the conflict are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of the war entering its third year. Following the visit to Kyiv, Orban said that he explored the possibility of a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine: “A ceasefire connected to a deadline would give a chance to speed up peace talks. I explored this possibility with the president and I am grateful for his honest answers and negotiation”, said the Hungarian PM. Zelensky did not respond to these comments publicly, but his foreign policy advisor Ihor Zhovkva stressed that Ukraine sees the only tool to bring peace to Ukraine, which is the peace summit recently held in Switzerland.

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Eric Zuesse
Oriental Review

U.S.-Saudi Petrodollar Pact Ends after 50 Years

“U.S.-Saudi Petrodollar Pact Ends after 50 Years”
T. 11 June 2024, analysis by Paul Hoffman:

The 50-year-old petrodollar agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia was just allowed to expire. The term “petrodollar” refers to the U.S. dollar’s role as the currency used for crude oil transactions on the world market. This arrangement has its roots in the 1970s when the United States and Saudi Arabia struck a deal shortly after the U.S. went off the gold standard that would go on to have far-reaching consequences for the global economy. In the history of global finance, few agreements have wielded as many benefits as the petrodollar pact did for the U.S. economy.

A Boon to U.S. Bonds—The petrodollar agreement, formalized after the 1973 oil crisis, stipulated that Saudi Arabia would price its oil exports exclusively in U.S. dollars and invest its surplus oil revenues in U.S. Treasury bonds. In return, the U.S. provided military support and protection to the kingdom. This arrangement was a win-win situation for both; the U.S. gained a stable source of oil and a captive market for its debt, while Saudi Arabia secured its economic and overall security.

Status as the Reserve Currency—Oil being denominated in U.S. dollars alone has significance beyond the categories of oil and finance. By mandating that oil be sold in U.S. dollars (DXY), the agreement elevated the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency. This, in turn, has profoundly impacted the U.S. economy. The global demand for dollars to purchase oil has helped to keep the currency strong, making imports relatively cheap for American consumers. Additionally, the influx of foreign capital into U.S. Treasury bonds has supported low interest rates and a robust bond market.

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Oriental Review Editorial

Hamas may lose the Gaza Strip, but it will win the regional battle in the Middle East.

Having forgotten about Ukraine, Western experts turned their attention to the Middle East, where the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is turning into a war. Thus, the article by Richard Sindelar, an American expert and former official of the US State Department, on the online edition of 19FortyFive, forecasts future developments in the area and their effects on the whole world. In his view, Hamas, under the onslaught of Israel Forces (IDF), may the Gaza Strip but can win the regional battle in the Middle East.

The Palestinians are increasingly backed by new Islamist groups and Arab countries, causing a growing conflict. They are engaging in asymmetric warfare against the IDF on multiple fronts. Furthermore, leaders of Hamas have examined Israel’s vulnerabilities, such as conflicting politics within the nation, global criticism of the IDF military techniques, and will exploit them to conquer Jerusalem.

The things Hamas and indirectly Hezbollah have learned will be repeated and changed during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. They will be used not just in Gaza but in other areas of the region where these groups are powerful and have supporters who are prepared to fight against Israel.

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Thierry Meyssan

Photo: In his capacity as EU negotiator, Radosław Sikorski signed a crisis settlement agreement with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, in the evening of February 21, 2014. The following morning, the men he had secretly trained in Poland were about to take power. (AFP)

Lies have shorter and shorter legs. Two months after the change of regime in Kiev, the Polish press has disclosed the role of Donald Tusk’s government in preparing the coup. The new revelations belie Western discourse and demonstrate that the current interim government of Oleksandr Tourtchynov was imposed by NATO in violation of international law.

The Polish left-wing weekly Nie (No) published a startling witness account of the training given to the most violent of the EuroMaidan [1] activists.

According to this source, in September 2013, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski invited 86 members of the Right Sector (Sector Pravy), allegedly in the context of a university exchange program. In reality, the guests were not students, and many were over 40. Contrary to their official schedule, they did not go to the Warsaw University of Technology, but headed instead for the police training center in Legionowo, an hour’s drive from the capital. There, they received four weeks of intensive training in crowd management, person recognition, combat tactics, command skills, behavior in crisis situations, protection against gases used by police, erecting barricades, and especially shooting, including the handling of sniper rifles.

Such training took place in September 2013, while the Maidan Square protests were allegedly triggered by a decree suspending preparations for the signing of the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement, which was issued by Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on November 21, i.e. two months later.

The Polish weekly refers to photographs attesting to the training, which show the Ukrainians in Nazi uniforms alongside their Polish instructors in civilian clothing.

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Anatoly Tsyganok
Oriental Review

"NATO officials understand that without a land operation it is practically impossible to defeat Gaddafi."

The conference held on March 29 in London made it clear that the initiators of the Libyan war are going to continue it. At the same time, the experience of the previous wars in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Persian Gulf shows that air operation is only the first act of the campaign.

* * *

From the very beginning the Western coalition (namely the forces of the US, France and Britain) chose strange targets for the attacks. It would have been a different matter if they had destroyed only the headquarters of Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli but the air attacks also hit a hospital for elderly people. On the next day when the Libyan mass media reported that 48 peaceful citizens had been killed and 150 wounded several countries slammed the coalition’s attacks.

In the Arab world the public opinion is more and more taking sides with Tripoli. The position of the Arab League has also changed. Three days after the first air attacks Moscow and Beijing demanded stop to the military operation in Libya. In its statement Beijing warned the coalition that the attacks may lead to “humanitarian catastrophe”. On March 20, the African Union joined China condemning the military actions of the coalition. The African Union's Committee on Libya issued a statement in which it called for an "immediate stop" to the air attacks. Earlier Venezuela and Cuba voiced the same demands.

Now the following countries are taking active part in the campaign against Libya: the US, Great Britain, France, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Norway, UAE, Qatar. As for Germany, Greece and Italy they are only providing their air bases to the coalition forces.

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